


Steal Your Heart

by toomanyunfinishedfics



Category: Persona 5
Genre: (Since the fic goes up to and beyond the end game), AkiRen Week 2019, Couples/characters are tagged in order of appearance, Each of these drabbles take place in the same universe, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Plenty of affection because Akira deserves it, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-06 08:59:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18385208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomanyunfinishedfics/pseuds/toomanyunfinishedfics
Summary: A look into the ups and downs of Akira Kurusu’s time in Tokyo, and all the people that worked their way into his life and his heart along the way.





	1. Day One: Best Friends (Ryuji)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [AkiRen week](https://twitter.com/akiren_week)!
> 
> Sorry some of the drabbles are a bit short, as you might notice they get a bit longer towards the end of the week since it was taking me a while to pick up steam and get back into the feeling of writing after being burnt out for a few months OTL (It also didn’t help that I decided to be ambitious with AkiRen week and do Polythieves instead of just defaulting to Pegoryu for all of the prompts lol;;)
> 
> All of these drabbles are interlinked, though they’re a bit out of order to keep with the corresponding days;; The chronological order is technically Day One (Ryuji - June) -> Day Four (Ann - August) -> Day Six (Yusuke - September) -> Day Five (Haru - November) -> Day Two (Makoto - December) -> Day Three (Futaba - End game) -> Day Seven (PT - Post game). You really don’t need to read them in order for them to make sense or anything though, I just like making timelines and keeping things in order (like that wasn’t obvious enough with my NG+ fic lmao)
> 
> Enjoy! ^^

Though the two had hardly known each other for two months now, Akira could safely say that Ryuji was the best friend he had ever had--which was sad, really, considering the good amount of friends that he  _ thought _ he had back home, but….

Well. He supposed it was obvious now that those friendships had just been superficial and one-sided.

Ryuji, though--god, what kind of guy went and willingly put himself in danger just to try and cover for someone they just barely met? He was brave, loyal, selfless, bright, fun, friendly, and so much more, so much that even two months into their friendship his head and his heart were both still working hard to take in everything about him.

He’d never met someone quite like Ryuji before, and he doubted he would ever meet anyone else like him in his entire life.

Granted, the friends that he was slowly surrounding himself with were all unique in their own wonderful ways, fitting themselves neatly into different parts of his heart and his life, but Ryuji… maybe it was just because they’d been the first to bond; because Ryuji had been the only one by his side as he awoke to his Persona; because Ryuji had stuck to his side like glue afterwards, and had made it clear that he was a part of Akira’s life now no matter what anyone said or thought about either of them; because when the two of them were together, there was a sense of  _ belonging _ like Akira had never felt before--but regardless of the reason, regardless of how many friends he was beginning to make now that he’d settled into his new life in Tokyo for the year, Ryuji would always be his best friend and his right-hand man without question.

Amusingly enough, however--or perhaps it was only amusing to him and Ryuji, since it seemed to exasperate the rest of their small team--though they spent plenty of time together, it seemed that Ryuji had a stronger influence over him than even Akira could have anticipated, rather than Akira being a positive influence on Ryuji as the rest of their team had hoped.

(In his defense, though, who could ever look at Ryuji’s face and say no?)

(... Well, okay, plenty of people probably could, but Akira couldn’t help that he was weak to Ryuji’s bright smile and affectionate gestures.)

He couldn't help the urges that rose up to have a little mischievous fun now and again when he was with Ryuji, to do dumb things that Ryuji would happily contribute to and go along with--even if he knew he'd regret it later, if only because it would end up with Morgana scolding him.

With Ryuji, Akira felt like he could be the normal high school kid he was supposed to be, without the pressure of a criminal record and the responsibility of leadership on his shoulders, and he appreciated the feeling just as much as he appreciated everything else about his best friend.

“Yo, Akira!” An arm swinging around Akira's shoulders pulled him from his thoughts, and Akira unconsciously leaned into the one-armed hug as he looked over at Ryuji to find a bright grin on his face. “You're free, right? Wanna head over to Ogikubo? They're having an all you can eat special today!”

Akira's lips twitched upward.

No matter how close he was with the rest of his friends, there were just certain sides of himself he could only really bring himself to show--or rather, certain masks that he could only bring himself to remove--when he was with Ryuji. Akira supposed that wasn't a bad thing, though: after all--

“I bet I can finish more bowls than you.”

Ryuji laughed, giving his best friend’s shoulder a squeeze and pulling him in a bit closer as they began to walk, his grin widening as he happily took the bait for the challenge. “You're on! Loser pays for the winner.”

\--the most important part of having a best friend was trusting that you could bare even the most ridiculous and immature sides of yourself, while knowing without a doubt that you would still be accepted with open arms.

(Akira lost the bet, but he couldn't bring himself to feel upset about it, not while Ryuji was comfortably leaning against his side with a satisfied grin on his face.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter felt a bit rambly or disjointed, I re-wrote it like three times so I can't even tell anymore if it's alright or if it's just because I've been staring at it for too long OTL;;


	2. Day Two: Working Hard (Makoto)

Akira let out a long sigh as he stared blankly at the textbook in front of him, only for a guilty grimace to replace his annoyed expression as Makoto lightly hit his arm with the papers in her hand.

“You were the one who asked me to help you catch up before finals,” Makoto reminded him. “If you’d been keeping up with your studies instead of goofing off--”

“I was  _ recovering _ ,” Akira protested weakly, though his skin had long since cleared of all cuts and bruises.

“If your body was recovered well enough in the first few days to pick up a video game controller, then it was recovered enough to pick up a book,” Makoto replied, the slightest hint of amusement in her gaze belying the flatness of her tone as she shot down his protest.

“I was… still recovering emotionally?” Upon receiving no response, Akira hesitantly added, “And it was easier to focus on video games instead of studying?”

The look on Makoto's face made it clear that she had grown immune to him playing the sympathy card, which meant that Akira would need to take a different approach if he wanted a reprieve from the overload of information that Makoto was trying to help cram into his brain.

(Which, admittedly, really  _ was _ his own fault--but in his defense, who would willingly spend their time studying when there was the option to just goof off with Futaba and video games for company? Personally, he thought he earned that much after all the shit he had to go through.)

“ _ Makotoooo _ ,” he whined, moving to lean against the girl in question and repressing the smile that threatened to surface as he saw her face heating up lightly in response. “I'm trying my best, I really am--can't we take just a  _ little _ break, as a reward?”

Makoto eyed him for a moment, her stern expression wavering in the face of the puppy eyes staring up at her before she finally caved with a sigh. “I suppose we can take a break for lunch.”

Akira finally let his lips curl upward into the victorious grin he'd been fighting, his eyes drifting closed as Makoto's hand moved up to toy with his hair.

His satisfied expression didn't last for long, however, as Makoto quickly brought him back down to reality, even as she continued to gently run her fingers through his curly locks.

“But once lunch is over… I'm expecting you to put in double the effort to make up for lost time.”

Akira couldn’t suppress the groan that slipped out, though the sound of Makoto’s quiet laughter and the feeling of her continuing to play with his hair quickly ebbed his frustrated annoyance.

He knew catching up with his studies wouldn’t be easy, but if it meant making Makoto happy, he supposed he could try just a little harder.

(Seeing Makoto’s proud smile when he placed first in his grade on the final exams made all the headaches and all the late nights of cramming worth it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely the shortest drabble, my Makoto muse is practically nonexistent OTL


	3. Day Three: Last Day (Futaba)

“Are you really leaving…?”

Akira paused outside of LeBlanc and glanced back at Futaba, his expression softening as he set his bags down and reached out to pat her head.

“You know I would stay if I could,” he began regretfully, “but the agreement was that I would go back to live with my parents after the year was up. I can’t inconvenience Sojiro any more than I already have--”

“You haven’t been inconveniencing him!” Futaba exclaimed, cutting Akira off. “You know Sojiro wouldn’t think that!”

Akira dropped his gaze, hesitating for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh as he murmured, “I know.”

“No one wants you to leave,” Futaba tried again, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around her pseudo big brother. She buried her face against his chest, her words muffled as she continued to speak. “Please don’t go….”

Akira wrapped his arms around the girl he’d come to cherish as a younger sister in turn, pulling her closer to him. “I have to,” he weakly insisted, though whether it was to try and convince her or himself was anyone’s guess. “It’s just until I graduate high school, I promise. Just one more year, and I’ll be back here. Back home.”

Futaba seemed placated by the knowledge that Akira thought of Tokyo--of this small hole in the wall cafe in Yongen-jaya--as his true home, though she still pulled back to look up at him hesitantly as she asked, “Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Pinky swear it.” Futaba moved one of her hands from where it was gripping Akira’s shirt in order to shove her pinky out towards him. “You can’t break a pinky swear.”

Akira laughed softly, wrapping his pinky around hers and giving it a shake. “I swear I’ll be back--and just because I’m stuck at my parents’ house for a year, doesn’t mean you can’t come visit. Morgana and I would love the company.”

Futaba grinned, her spirits lifted with the promise of a future together to look forward to. “We’ll plan a group trip, then!”

Akira’s smile widened, his heart swelling in a mixture of affection and relief at the mere thought of the people closest to him all coming to spend time with him, to relieve him of the painful loneliness that he would no doubt have to endure upon returning to his prison of a house.

(Morgana’s company would help to get him through each day, he was sure, but it just wouldn’t be the same--and it was nothing against the cat, but their relationship was much different than Akira’s relationship with the rest of the Phantom Thieves, sans Futaba who was in a category all on her own.)

(God he would miss all the smiles, the friendly banter, the affectionate gestures--)

As if reading his mind, Futaba gave Akira one more hug that he was more than happy to reciprocate, and if Futaba noticed him quickly rub a hand over his eyes, she said nothing about it--instead, she gave him another grin even as she reluctantly stepped away from him.

“Well, I know I shouldn’t hold you up any longer, so… I’ll see you later.”

Before Akira could question her wording, she’d already run off, leaving Akira--though a bit confused--much happier and at ease with leaving behind everything he’d built up this past year than he’d felt before.

He couldn’t have wished for a better end to his last day in Tokyo.

(Except his friends--Futaba included--seemed intent on giving him one last surprise as they showed up to drive him home, the road trip filled with hours upon hours of arms around him, heads resting on his shoulders, hands reaching out to entwine with his own, and enough laughter and smiles to fill his heart to bursting.)

( _Now_ he could safely say that this was the best possible ending for his final day.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coffee family is the best family ;u; If my brain would cooperate enough I would write a lot more for them lol


	4. Day Four: Free Day (Slacking Off) (Ann)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cheated a bit for the free day and just used one of the previous prompts because I couldn't think of anything pfft;;

“Ughh, it’s so  _ hot _ ….”

Ann slumped forward in her seat, pushing her textbooks out of the way to rest her face against the marginally-cooler table with a drawn-out groan.

Akira rose from his seat across from her, wordlessly making his way over to the refrigerator in the back of LeBlanc and grabbing two cans of soda before returning to the table with Ann none the wiser to his movements. With a smirk, he reached out to press one of the cold cans to the back of Ann’s exposed neck, laughing as she let out a noise that was half a surprised squeal and half an appreciative groan.

“At least give me some warning first!” she protested half-heartedly, swiping the can from him as she sat up and pressing it against one of her flushed cheeks with a relieved sigh. Leaning across the table slightly so as not to be overheard, she said, “Someone needs to tell Boss to install a working AC in here.”

Akira let out a sigh of his own as he pressed his can of soda against his forehead. “Do you want to be the one to try bringing that up with him?” he responded quietly.

Ann chanced a glance over at the cafe owner, his expression even more irritable than normal thanks to both the heat and the lack of customers, and she grimaced as she turned her attention back over to Akira.

“Not really,” she conceded, leaning back in her seat before groaning as her gaze dropped down to the summer homework littering the table in front of her. “It’s too hot to think. Can’t we take a break?”

“Ann,” Akira began slowly, amusement shining in his eyes, “all you’ve done since getting here was sit down, take out your homework, and complain about how hot it was.”

“Oh shut up.” Ann lightly kicked Akira under the table, trying and failing not to laugh. “I’m still right, though--it’s way too hot to be thinking about homework. Can we at least go out and get some ice cream?”

Akira let out a sigh, but it was mainly for show--he was sweating just sitting in the small cafe with only a small rotating fan for relief from the heat, and truth be told, the last thing he wanted to do right now was think about homework.

“Alright, you win,” he conceded as he set his now-room temperature soda can down, rising to his feet with a smile and beginning to clear the table. “We’ll take a short ice cream break, and then once we’re cooled off and refreshed, we’ll get to work for real.”

Ann sprung up to her feet with a bright smile, suddenly much more energetic. “I know just the place we can go!”

Akira barely had a chance to finish setting aside all of their schoolwork and wave goodbye to Sojiro before Ann eagerly grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the cafe, the two of them ambling down the streets of Yongen-jaya comfortably pressed close to one another despite their complaints of the heat.

(They never ended up going back to LeBlanc to work on their homework, too busy enjoying the air conditioned ice cream parlor as they playfully stole spoonfuls of each other’s frozen treats while laughing--but hey, taking one day to relax didn’t hurt, right?)

(... Well, it would when they were scrambling to finish their homework the night before school resumed, but that was a problem for future Akira and Ann to deal with.)


	5. Day Five: At the Bottom (Haru)

It was no surprise for Haru to spend her free time at school up on the roof--especially these days, when she needed to escape from the hushed whispers and sympathetic gazes that had been following her through the halls ever since her father’s disastrous press conference.

What  _ was _ a surprise, however, was opening the door to the rooftop only to find Akira already taking care of the gardening in her place.

He seemed completely unaware of her presence, single-mindedly focusing on the task in front of him, and Haru would have let him be had she not noticed the slight trembling of his hands as he worked.

“Akira-kun?”

She tentatively approached him, frowning when he showed no signs of acknowledging her.

“Akira-kun,” she tried again, crouching by his side and putting a careful hand on his shoulder.

That did the trick: Akira jumped, his eyes wide, and fell backwards with a startled yelp before relaxing at the sight of Haru.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Haru quickly apologized, helping him back up and looking him over worriedly to make sure he hadn’t hurt himself. “I called your name twice, but I guess you didn’t hear me….”

“Ah, sorry about that.” Akira smiled sheepishly. “I guess I was more zoned out than I realized.” Upon realizing that he’d finished the majority of the gardening on his own, he grimaced and added, “I didn’t mean to take over your garden, either. I just… needed something to do, and I lost track of time.”

Haru eyed him thoughtfully, taking note of how his hands had yet to stop trembling and his eyes refused to meet hers, before carefully asking, “Akira-kun… are you okay?”

“I-- I should be asking you that.”

Haru shook her head with a small, weak smile. “Too many people have already asked me that question, and I don’t think my answer will change just yet--but Akira-kun… when was the last time anyone asked if  _ you’re _ okay?”

Immediately, Akira dropped his gaze to the ground, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides for a moment before he finally forced his vocal chords to cooperate without his throat closing up on him. “That doesn’t matter.”

Haru reached out to pull Akira into a hug, and he lacked the strength and the willpower to resist as he let himself be moved, leaning into the comforting embrace and squeezing his eyes shut to try and fight the burning sensation of tears that he couldn’t-- _ shouldn’t _ \--shed.

(Haru had gone through so much more than he had, what right did he have to break down--)

“It’s okay.” The soft voice combined with the gentle feeling of fingers running through his hair pulled a choked sob from Akira despite his attempts to fight it, and Haru’s expression softened at the sound, realizing for the first time that the leader of the Phantom Thieves wasn’t some wise, all-powerful, invincible being.

He was just a kid, even younger than she was, who had burden after burden dumped onto his shoulders, and who in a few days’ time was about to risk his life in a mission that had a higher chance of failure than success--and for what? The sake of justice? Taking down corrupt adults? Protecting the public that had already turned their backs on them?

“It’s okay to be scared,” she continued quietly as she moved her other hand to rub his back, prompting another shuddering sob from Akira as he began to break down. “Just let it all out.”

And he did: he let out all the fear, all the frustration, all the helplessness that he’d shoved into the furthest recesses of his mind so he could be the confident, fearless leader that his team needed him to be--and Haru continued to hold him the whole way through, lending her strength when she thought she’d had none left to give even as tears began to cloud her vision, tears that she held at bay if only for Akira’s sake.

“It’s okay,” she repeated, a mantra for both herself and the frightened boy in her arms.

“Everything’s going to be okay.”

(When he returned from the interrogation room, bruised and bleeding and flinching at every touch where he had always accepted any form of affection with open arms--that was when Haru finally allowed herself to cry the tears that she’d held back just a few days ago.)

(Everything would be okay eventually. She had to keep telling herself that, even through her tears.)

(Otherwise all their suffering would have been for nothing.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ended up being one of the easiest drabbles to write lmao I have too much fun writing hurt/comfort, sorry Akira


	6. Day Six: Future (Yusuke)

Akira let out a content sigh as he idly walked along the beach, enjoying the feeling of the soft ocean breeze and the sand beneath his feet as he took in the scenery around him. The crowds had thinned out now that the sun was beginning to set, and it gave the area a much more tranquil feel than earlier in the day.

He was so absorbed in taking in the foreign sights--though he’d been to plenty of beaches before, he’d never been to one with palm trees and food stands with English writing on them, and the sight was both jarring and interesting--that he almost missed a familiar person seated on one of the benches, his attention completely focused on the sketchbook in front of him and his hand moving along the paper at a fervent pace.

Akira changed course and began making his way over to the artist, taking a seat next to him on the bench and cracking a small, amused smile when Yusuke didn’t so much as glance up from his drawing.

Only when Akira leaned against him--resting his chin on Yusuke’s shoulder to take a look at what his friend was drawing so passionately--did Yusuke finally pull his gaze away from his art, blinking in wary confusion at the presence of another person next to him before relaxing when he realized it was just Akira.

“My apologies, I hadn’t noticed you approaching.”

Akira chuckled softly and waved off his apology, instead turning his gaze back down to the sketchbook in Yusuke’s hands, taking in the sight of the tranquil ocean with the sun setting on the horizon before glancing back up to match the black and white image with the scenery in front of them.

“A beautiful sight, is it not?” Yusuke wore a soft smile as he followed Akira’s gaze towards the endless expanse of glistening water spread out before them. “I could hardly do it justice with the supplies I had on hand, yet I couldn’t let the opportunity to capture this moment pass me by.”

Akira shifted so his cheek was resting against Yusuke’s shoulder instead of his chin, allowing him to comfortably nod in agreement without tearing his gaze away from the mesmerizing sight.

Yusuke seemed unfazed by the proximity, an easy silence falling between them for a few minutes--and just as Akira found his eyelids beginning to drift closed, the sounds of the ocean combined with the familiar warmth of a friend lulling him into a half-asleep state, Yusuke broke the silence, keeping his voice down as if unconsciously trying not to disrupt the serenity of the moment.

“Even miles away from home, there’s talk of our exploits.” Yusuke let out a quiet, troubled sigh as he set his pencil and sketchbook down on his lap. “I have no doubts that you’ve heard as well.”

Akira nodded, a small frown replacing his previously peaceful expression, and Yusuke couldn’t help the frown that tugged at his own lips in response.

“My apologies, I shouldn’t be speaking about this when we’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves.”

Akira shook his head, continuing to relax against his friend despite the change in subject.

“You’re concerned.”

Akira’s words were a statement rather than a question, so Yusuke felt no need to respond, instead shifting his attention back to the book on his lap and picking up his pencil to put the finishing touches on his sketch.

Akira, in turn, shifted slightly in his seat to watch the artist at work, content to let the conversation sit for a moment in favor of watching Yusuke bring the scenery before them to life through each careful movement of pencil against paper.

Finally, when Yusuke seemed to finish his drawing, Akira spoke up.

“I’m worried too.”

The confession wasn’t one that Akira normally let himself admit, but if Yusuke was surprised, he hid it well--which made it all the more easy for Akira to continue to speak as he turned his gaze away from Yusuke's sketchbook and over towards the ocean, knowing that Yusuke would hear him out and reserve judgement no matter what weakness he showed.

“People are getting too excited over us, like this is some sort of game. I don’t want the fame to go to our heads, and I’d like to think that it wouldn’t, but… I can’t say for sure. I can’t say  _ anything _ for sure. I thought I’d finally gotten the hang of being in charge and figuring out our next move, but now, with so much pressure from the public watching and waiting impatiently for us to announce our next target….” Akira's brows furrowed in frustration. “I just don’t know.”

“It’s only natural to feel anxious about the future, is it not?”

Yusuke’s words caused Akira to pull his gaze away from the setting sun and up to look at him, though Yusuke continued to stare ahead at the ocean as he spoke.

“None of us can say for sure what will happen. All we can do is trust one another, and move forward together.” Finally, Yusuke turned to look at Akira and gave him a small smile. “Being our leader does not mean you have to shoulder all the responsibility yourself. The path to our future is not yours alone to pave--regardless of what awaits us, of what mistakes we may or may not make, we will face it all together.”

Akira’s expression softened in a mixture of relief and gratefulness, a smile working its way onto his face. “You’re right,” he agreed quietly, feeling as if a weight he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying had been lifted off his chest. “We’ll figure this out together.”

(Just as Yusuke had said, the path to their future could never have been paved by just one person--it took each and every one of them, each and every person that Akira had put his trust in and who trusted him in return, combining their efforts in order to continue moving forward.)

(Though the path set out before them was filled with far more obstacles than any of them could have ever imagined, from the failed change of heart to fighting a god, they were at their strongest when they banded together to see every last challenge through to the end.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Yusuke is surprisingly fun, not sure if I'm really writing him right but I at least know that this drabble came a lot easier than most of the other drabbles I wrote lol


	7. Day Seven: Best Day (Polythieves)

Of all the things Akira Kurusu had been through in his life--arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, shipped off to Tokyo without even a goodbye from his parents, getting wrapped up in stealing hearts and political scandals and fighting a literal god--having to watch his friends leave after driving him all the way back to his house was probably the most painful, heart-wrenching thing he’d ever lived through.

The constant stream of texts flooding his phone over the next few weeks were a balm to soothe his loneliness, as was Morgana’s warm, familiar presence, but he knew that it was all nothing more than a feeble attempt at covering up the hole in his heart that his teammates’ and friends’ presence had once filled.

It wasn’t until there was talk in the group chat of another road trip to come visit him that a spark of life finally returned to Akira’s eyes.

Thankfully his parents were away for the weekend that everyone planned to come over (not that it was much of a surprise, given how his parents were hardly ever home to begin with), so they would have the entirety of the far-too-large house to themselves. Akira busied himself over the next few days scrubbing the accumulated dust out of every nook and cranny, stocking the empty refrigerator and cabinets with both snacks and actual food, and washing every blanket and pillow he could find.

The first order of business as soon as everyone arrived--aside from piling on Akira like they hadn’t seen him in years, though in his opinion it honestly felt like even longer than that--was for Futaba and Ryuji to take over the living room, the two of them working together to set up the video games that they’d lugged with them upon finding out that Akira didn’t own any of his own. Makoto and Haru took over the kitchen in the meantime, working with Akira to prepare dinner despite Akira’s insistence that he could take care of the cooking--after all, Makoto was the one that drove all the way out here, he was sure she was exhausted, and--

Makoto fixed him with a Look, but it was the affectionate bumping of shoulders that followed that made Akira give in and let Makoto and Haru do their thing. He still insisted on at least helping them, which was a fair compromise if nothing else.

After Yusuke and Ryuji moved the table from the dining room into the living room where they would be more comfortable, Ann helped Akira set the table while Makoto and Haru brought out the huge spread of food, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Akira’s house was filled with the lively sounds of chatter and shouting and laughter as they split their focus between food and video games.

For all the years that he’d lived there, Akira’s house had never felt more like a home to him than it did now.

Akira reclined back on the couch after dinner was finished and the table was cleared, watching Futaba try and teach Yusuke how to use the controller out of the corner of his eye as Ann sat pressed up next to him on one side and Ryuji on the other, the two of them recounting everything that he’d missed these past few weeks as if they hadn’t been keeping him updated every day since he’d left. Morgana sat on his lap to complete the small group, adding in his two cents every so often and occasionally friendly bickering with Ryuji.

Akira didn’t have much to contribute on his end, but thankfully his friends seemed to realize this and stayed clear of asking him any questions that would bring down the mood, instead focusing on lighthearted conversation topics until Futaba interrupted by tossing a controller his way--which he caught with all the reflexes of months of avoiding chalk being thrown at his head--and challenged the great and powerful Leader of the Phantom Thieves to a round. Of course, he couldn’t possibly turn down a challenge.

He figured he should have expected Futaba to wipe the floor with him, yet it still somehow came as a surprise--and though there was plenty of laughter and teasing nudges at his expense in response, he accepted his loss with grace as he passed the controller along to the next victim. After all, he couldn’t possibly be upset about the small sting to his pride with so many smiles directed at him and so much warmth and affection surrounding him.

While Ryuji and Makoto played the next round with Morgana moving off Akira’s lap to sit between them, Yusuke and Haru carried the table back into the dining room while Akira, Ann, and Futaba went to grab all the pillows and blankets, creating a comfortable pile on the floor with them. As soon as the pillows and blankets hit the floor, Akira found himself with a little gremlin attached to him--and the mischievous grin on her face was his only warning before Futaba pulled him down with her onto the blankets, laughing as they landed in a heap. The sound drew the attention of the rest of the room’s occupants, and Morgana wisely jumped out of the way as Ryuji suddenly joined in on piling on top of Akira, followed by Ann and Haru. Haru reached out and pulled a startled Makoto down with her, and the room became filled with laughter once more in response to her startled yelp as she stumbled and fell into the pile of bodies on the ground.

Though Yusuke stood off to the side, his smile was just as affectionate as the rest of his friends as he immortalized the moment in his sketchbook, knowing that Akira would appreciate the tangible reminder of this time as much as he would appreciate the memory itself.

Even after everyone disentangled themselves from the pile, they all refused to go far, only moving enough to get changed into pajamas and turn off the TV and the lights before immediately gravitating back over to Akira’s side, crowding around and near him on the floor in a comfortable heap of limbs and pillows. The long trip quickly caught up to everyone, and it wasn’t long before Akira was the only one left awake, a soft smile on his face as he glanced around at his friends as best as he could without moving and disrupting their sleep.

Futaba had latched onto his arm and was using it as a pillow, while Ryuji had unabashedly laid dibs on using Akira’s stomach for a pillow and had quickly knocked out after just a few minutes of Akira’s fingers absentmindedly toying with his hair. Ann had started off with a pillow propped up against Ryuji, but it was quickly pushed aside in favor of just leaning back against him, one of her legs having moved at some point to comfortably rest on top of Akira’s leg. Yusuke was on the opposite side of Futaba, his sketchbook under his pillow for easy access should inspiration pull him from his sleep--and though he started off a respectful distance from both Futaba and Akira, he’d unconsciously shifted a bit closer to them in his sleep, his head just shy of pressing against the back of Futaba’s neck and his ankle just barely brushing against Akira's foot. Morgana found a spot to curl up on the blankets right above Akira’s head, while Makoto and Haru stretched out along the bottom edge of the blanket pile, sleeping next to one another while remaining close enough to reach out to Akira at any time.

With everyone accounted for, Akira closed his eyes with a peaceful smile, reveling in the feeling of completeness that washed over him from as he let the warmth of the people closest to his heart lull him to sleep.

(Even looking back years later, Akira could safely say that after spending so long back home and going without his friends’ physical presence for what felt like an eternity, that day--simple as it was--had been one of the best days of his life.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap for AkiRen week! I know it probably wasn't my best work, but it was something different and I managed to push my way through a writing slump to get all 7 days done, so all in all I think I consider it a job well done lol. Thanks to everyone who read, kudo'd, commented, and bookmarked this fic, I really appreciate it! ;u; <3


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